![\"Shillong](\"https:\/\/indiansportsnews.co.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Shillong-Lajong-FC98.jpg\")
Mumbai: Yuta Kinowaki produced a late equaliser as Shillong Lajong FC held Mumbai FC to a 1-1 draw in an I-League football match at the Cooperage Stadium here on Sunday evening.<\/p>\nMumbai: Yuta Kinowaki produced a late equaliser as Shillong Lajong FC held Mumbai FC to a 1-1 draw in an I-League football match at the Cooperage Stadium here on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
Mumbai took the lead almost immediately after the start when Victorino Fernandes found the net in the second minute with a powerful shot following a build up from the midfield.<\/p>\n
However, Kinowaki (90th minute) scored in the final minute of regulation time to rescue a point for the visitors.<\/p>\n
Lajong thus held on to the fifth spot on the league table with 25 points from 17 matches.<\/p>\n
Mumbai, on the other hand, continue to languish in the relegation zone as they are second from bottom in the 10-team table with a mere 13 points from 17 matches.<\/p>\n
They are almost sure to be relegated as with only one game left in their I-League campaign this season, even a victory will not enable them to go past eighth-placed Chennai City FC who have 17 points.<\/p>\n
Mumbai FC played with fielded a 4-4-2 formation, their game play flowing mostly through the middle.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Shillong attempted to counter Mumbai’s dominance through the middle by attacking through the wings. Shillong carved out a great chance early on when Yuta Kinowaki struck his half volley over the crossbar.<\/p>\n
It looked an interesting strategy by Mumbai coach Oscar Bruzon, since he preferred to employ a counter-attacking style, since the hosts had speed on their side.<\/p>\n
In the second half, Shillong, who lacked energy before the break, came out all guns blazing.<\/p>\n
Yuta Kinawaki struck the crossbar and Mumbai goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani was lucky to not pick the ball out of his net.<\/p>\n
Mumbai did not sit back to defend their narrow lead and played an open game which alllowed both sides to create chances, making the game attractive to the neutral spectator.<\/p>\n
The hosts forced a chance of their own when Siam Hanghal’s shot from distance was well saved by Lajong custodian Vishal Kaith.<\/p>\n
Mumbai FC switched to a 4-3-3 attacking formation for the second half, and a 4-5-1 during their transition to defence.<\/p>\n
Shillong lobbed cross after cross into the hosts’ penalty box, but the Mumbai defence led by Mehrajuddin Wadoo and Pratik Chowdhury remained firm.<\/p>\n
In the final minute of regulation time, Kinawaki, who had tormented the Mumbai defence throughout the game, managed to find space and slotted an unstoppable shot past Kattimani.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mumbai: Yuta Kinowaki produced a late equaliser as Shillong Lajong FC held Mumbai FC to a 1-1 draw in an I-League football match at the Cooperage Stadium here on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
Mumbai took the lead almost immediately after the start when Victorino Fernandes found the net in the second minute with a powerful shot following a build up from the midfield.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[16282,12975,345,466,382,592,13946],"class_list":["post-34427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football-football","tag-cooperage-stadium","tag-football-news","tag-i-league","tag-indian-sports-news","tag-mumbai-fc","tag-shillong-lajong-fc","tag-yuta-kinowaki"],"yoast_head":"\n